Dr Ala Alwan, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, Dr Margaret Chan, WHO Director General, and Dr Abdellatif Mekki, Minister of Public Health of Tunisia, at the conference – Value for money, sustainability and accountability in the health sectorIn Africa, more and more countries are being branded as middle-income countries and there is growing recognition by policy-makers that improved health is a prerequisite for sustainable development. They recognize that the health sector, when properly managed, is an important source of economic growth.

However, a decade after the adoption of the landmark Abuja Declaration in April 2001, only six countries in Africa have allocated 15% or more of their national budget to health. Even more disturbing is the fact that 11 countries are investing a mere US$ 5 or less per person per year in health, which is far less than the amount of money needed to care for those in need of health.